At one point in my career I was managing a decorating center that offered a high quality paint at the tune of about $32.00 a gallon. Often times, I spoke with people who wanted my personal service of color consulting, but then admitted they wanted to take my color chip elsewhere to buy the paint.  $32.00 gallon was “too expensive”.   Of course, this was frustrating. I would attempt to explain the value of a high quality latex paint.  I imagine that I sounded much like the teacher on Charlie Brown. Wha wahnt wha wahnt…..as their eyes glazed over with fear wishing they were closer to the exit. Many times, I sold that whopping $32 paint, but there were plenty of times they left with the paint chip and if I was lucky, I got an expression of thanks for the education. What part of actually paying for the paint helped to pay my salary, allowing for my expert advice, didn’t they understand? But that is not my point here today.

Let's talk a moment about when it is time for you to go out and paint the town. Have you ever gone to a bar and paid top dollar for a watered down drink? It’s rather distasteful, isn't it? When we can taste the difference, it makes more of an impact and we don’t mind paying for top shelf when our taste buds are at stake. I use this analogy because latex paint quality is sort of the same. No, we should never try a taste test with paint.  My point is, inexpensive latex paint is watered down. It is as simple as that.

There are four key ingredients to paint; pigments, binders, thinners, and additives. Pigment is what actually gives you color. It also helps to hide previous color and imperfections. This important additive comes into play most significantly when you are selecting a specific shade from the many 2 x 2 rainbow of options at your paint store. Highly concentrated pigment is added to a white or neutral base paint at the mixing counter in order to perfect the shade of paint that you will see applied to your walls. Pigment also plays a role in the level of gloss your paint will have. The gloss factor may seem like a matter of taste, but it is actually what will allow you to wash dirt and grime off your walls. Flat paint, with no gloss, is made up of “filler” pigments – such as talc, clay, calcium carbonate and silica. They will absorb stains and dirt. This is why most paint stores would never recommend using a flat paint in a kitchen or bathroom.

The next key ingredient is the binder. The binder is what will hold that pigment together with the paint base and continue to hold it together when the paint dries on the wall.  The binder is the most important component to durability –determining how well it will adhere to the surface and how long it will last. The binders usually used in latex paint are either acrylic or Poly-vinyl Acetate (PVA) both waterborne resins used mainly in interior paints.

Thinners work to combine the pigment and binder to control consistency. Have you ever stirred and stirred paint and felt like it was taking forever to mix? The thinner will help to maintain a consistent mix and will assist in the process of wet paint drying to form a protective film on your walls. The type of thinner used will affect the quality of the paint.  What kinds of thinners are used? Well if we were talking about oil paints, the answer would most likely be mineral spirits. We are talking about latex, however, so water is the thinner used. Yes, water.

Bartender, could I have another? Wait, I digress. The last of the key ingredients in paint formulation are the additives.  There can be many additives included in your paint, and each will depend on what your paint is being used for. Some help to control how the paint will spread when it applies, depending on the application process. Some help to disperse the pigment. Some may even inhibit mold and mildew growth.

Knowing what bartender you can trust to pour your libation is helpful, to not only your taste buds but to your wallet. Who wants to pay for a drink that is mostly tap water? When buying paint, you also want to know that the mixologist knows what they are doing, and I don’t mean the guy making sure your subtle salsa walls do not turn out to be pretty in pink. I’m talking about the guy at the manufacturing plant who slaps a label on the base can of paint. What is that guy putting in my drink?

Quality pigment with good hiding properties (versus those that act as fillers), along with a good quality and quantity of binder, and the necessary additives will make a huge difference in how well your paint mixes, applies, dries and lasts. The thinner, however, is what can make or break it. Let’s face it; a bartender will add water to a drink to “fill ‘er up”.  A paint manufacturer will do the same to keep a gallon of paint, well, a gallon. Therefore, the ratio of quality ingredients to the thinner (water) reflects in the quality and durability of the paint. Pigments and binders, being more expensive than tap water, will determine the cost of the paint.  Again, you get what you pay for. That gallon of paint may be $8.00 or even $10.00 less per gallon, but how much of savings is it when you need one or two extra gallons to finish the job?

Professional painters will be the first to recommend spending a bit more on quality paint versus the least expensive option. They understand that the better a paint applies; the further the gallon of paint will go, requiring fewer gallons per project.  Understandably, the professional painter will also say that proper preparation will make just as much an impact on the job as the quality of the paint, but that is a blog for a different day.  In the meantime, make sure you get what you pay for, whether you belly up to the bar or the paint counter.  Bottoms up!